Fraser Valley students participate in the IB Primary years Programme (PYP) from Kindergarten to Grade Five. Through the PYP transdisciplinary framework, students learn BC Ministry Curriculum and extend their understanding to explore local and global issues. Real-world connections and conceptual understandings are a focus and students are prompted to take action with their new knowledge. Learning through inquiry, with student agency as a focus, and involvement from the entire learning community supports students in taking ownership of their learning. We are supporting our students in becoming life-long Internationally-Minded learners with understanding of historical, global, indigenous and personal perspectives.
Fraser Valley School recognizes the uniqueness of the early learner. Student-initiated play supports development of receptive and cognitive abilities, representational abilities and relational abilities. Play in our kindergarten classroom is adaptive to learners needs, involves choice, promotes agency, provides rigorous opportunities for inquiry into both important concepts and personal interests, and develops social skills. Opportunities for play are balanced between open ended free play and centers for reinforcing specific learning (which may include literacy and numeracy centers) Intentional provocations support students in constructing their own understanding of the relevant Unit of Inquiry concepts. Relationships are a central component of the experience for our early learners and through our small class size of 16 students, teachers have more time to develop meaningful connections with each learner.
To celebrate the culmination of the Primary Years Programme, Grade Five students participate in Exhibition where they choose an issue to explore independently or collaboratively, researching and planning for action, while continually reflecting throughout the process. Exhibition allows students to share their learning with the entire learning community as they transition from the PYP to MYP.
